How to get rid of air congestion in the heating system. What to do if heating batteries are air

  • 06.07.2019

The air in the batteries interferes with the circulation of the coolant and reduces the heat transfer of the radiators. Therefore, it is customary to bleed (discharge) air from batteries. How it's done? You can learn about this from our article. Below in the text we will consider the process of removing plugs from heating systems with single-circuit, double-circuit and collector wiring.

Wiring Device Features

In modern homes, three types of wiring schemes are used:

  • single-circuit option with series connection of batteries,
  • two-circuit option with parallel connection of radiators,
  • collector version with insert of each heating element into the distributor.

In a single-circuit design, all heaters are "strung" on the thread of the heating circuit and form an actually huge radiator. The double-circuit option involves laying two threads with a battery insert. The collector circuit is based on the connection of each element to the boiler using a distributor (collector).

As a result, a plug in a single-circuit circuit can block all circulation. The dual-circuit and collector version of this problem is not threatened. But if an air bubble enters the water, then one of the radiators will stop heating the room.

Therefore, such congestion should be removed from any wiring. And the faster, the better. How this is done, you can find below in the text, where we will analyze the most effective methods of bleeding plugs from pipes and heating elements.

How to bleed air from a single-circuit system

To bleed air you need to do the following: turn off the pump; add water by increasing pressure; turn on the pump. The coolant flow will pick up the bubble and carry it into expansion tank. And if there is an open expander in your house, then the congestion will immediately go into the atmosphere.

If there is no pump in the wiring, then a boiler can be used instead. He must heat the coolant to a maximum temperature and then the air bubble will leave the water under the influence of pressure generated as a result of thermal circulation.

In closed single-circuit lines, it is customary to embed a separate branch into the wiring with a valve at the end, the end of which is the highest point of the wiring. With this outlet, you can vent air by opening the valve. Moreover, if the cork does not leave the pipes and heaters immediately, then you will have to repeat the manipulations with the pump and the valve for supplying water to the heating from the water supply.

In addition, it would be nice to embed into an extreme heater, the output of which leads to the boiler return pipe, a Mayevsky assembly or a conventional ball valve. As practice shows, the bubble most often accumulates precisely in the upper part of the last single-circuit wiring battery.

How to remove air from a dual circuit

To remove the mash from you you need to advance, even at the installation stage, screw the Majewski tap into the radiator. This valve is designed specifically to remove air from heaters. And without it, it will be extremely difficult to remove the cork.


Well, the process of lowering the mash from the heating system is as follows:

  1. 1. Open the valve to supply water from the water supply to the heating.
  2. 2. We put a bucket of 5 liters under each drain.
  3. 3. We open all the taps of Mayevsky.
  4. 4. We wait until only water comes out of the plums.
  5. 5. Close the taps, close the valve and pour water from the buckets.

The pressure of water from the water supply system removes the cork, pushing it through the open tap of Majewski. And if there is a little liquid between the drain and the air bubble, then it simply drains into a framed bucket. Well, after only water comes out of the drain, you can close it and turn off the supply from the water supply.

In this case, you do not need to turn on the boiler or pump. The necessary pressure is generated by the water supply itself. Moreover, in closed circuits, before opening the valve on the fluid supply line from the water supply, you need to lower the nipple expansion tankby relieving pressure in pipes and heaters.

How to remove the air plug from the collector system

Venting plugs from the collector heating system is only possible with the same Mayevsky faucets. They cut into the free upper corner of the heating element at the assembly stage. Moreover, the collector structure is cleaned of congestion almost in the same way as dual-circuit heating lines.


To do this, substitute a bucket under the tap on the radiator, close the valve on the return manifold, cutting off the heater from the boiler, and feed water from the water supply into the pipes. The pressure of the water will press on the bubble and push it through the hole in the open drain. A blocked return will prevent the bubble from moving into the boiler.

At the same time, a decent portion of water can leak out of the battery, so the bucket under the tap should be at least five-liter. And, most likely, at the very beginning water will go from the drain, followed by air. Therefore, you should not rush and block the tap.

After the congestion leaves the radiator, you should close the water supply from the water supply to the pipes and open the return line on the corresponding collector. By doing this, you can turn on the boiler and pump.

How to find an air bubble in a heating system

The airy area can be found by tactile sensations or by ear. In the first case, you bypass all radiators (in the direction of movement of the coolant) and touch them with your hand at the top and bottom. If one of the batteries turns out to be colder than the previous ones, then in this place, most likely, the problem has accumulated. Therefore, the Maevsky tap must be opened precisely at this battery, disconnecting (if possible) it from the return.

Sometimes a cork can be identified by sound. The battery, partially filled with air, continues to work, but the coolant circulating in its interiors emits a characteristic murmur. And if you heard this "trickle" in the room, then just go to the sound and find the problem radiator.

Moreover, rare groans and creaks in the pipes have nothing to do with traffic jams. In most cases, they signal possible pressure drops or water hammer in the valve. This, of course, is not very good, but it has nothing to do with the air traffic jam.

Residents of private houses and city apartments often encounter “airing” of heating batteries. This means that an air congestion has formed inside the system, which interferes with the correct circulation of the coolant through the pipes and, accordingly, does not allow normal heating of the housing.

The main signs of battery airing can be atypical noises inside the system, pipe vibrations, or too little radiator heating.

Reasons why air enters the system:

Incorrect installation of the system itself, in particular, failure to comply with the required pipe slope. Incorrect (too fast) filling of the system before starting work. Leaky connection of pipeline elements. Carrying out repair and restoration work after an accident - during this period, air entering the system is inevitable. Other causes are possible - for example, corrosion of the inner surface of pipes or a high content of air dissolved in water.

How to eliminate an air lock in the battery?

To avoid airing during system filling, some rules must be followed. Filling with water is carried out from the bottom up, very slowly, so that the liquid has time to displace the air that has accumulated in the pipes. During the process, all taps (excluding those that drain water) must be opened; if water has flowed from the faucet, this means that the heating system is filled to the proper level as expected, and the faucet can be closed so that the water rises higher.


If the plug formed during the operation of the system, you need to release the accumulated air. For this, air vents are used - special devices of automatic or manual type: the latter are also known as the "Mayevsky crane". They are mounted in the most “problematic” parts of the system: on the end parts of radiators or in places of pipe bends. The figure also indicates other possible locations for installing vent valves:


An automatic device for air removal solves the problem of airing the batteries on their own, without user intervention. If the Mayevsky crane is mounted in the system, it is necessary to open it with a special key; In this case, a slight hiss should be heard (with such a sound, air comes out of the radiator). As soon as it stops and water flows from the faucet, the procedure can be completed and the valve closed again: this means that the air plug has been eliminated and the system has been restored to working condition. published

Air in heating batteries is a fairly common problem, both among residents of private houses, and among people living in an apartment. In almost any heating system, an air cushion sometimes forms, which must be eliminated by bleeding the air.

In order to determine if there is air in your heating system, check if all the batteries have the same temperature? Or maybe in some of the rooms the radiator is a little warm in the upper part and completely cold from the bottom, while in other rooms everything works fine? Most likely, this is the very air plug in the battery.

In no case should you ignore the presence of air in the heating system. If you think that the biggest problem due to the accumulated air is a cold battery in the midst of the heating season, then you are very deeply mistaken.

Over time, metal corrosion and the process of "dry friction" in the bearings of the battery will begin inside the radiators, and as a result,.

Airing the battery can occur for several reasons:

  1. During the operation of the heating system, the water heats up and air escapes in the form of bubbles, which collects in the upper part of the radiator.
  2. Airing may occur after pipeline repairs.
  3. The system needs to be filled slowly. Do not forget to check the absence of air in the radiators and distributors. And remember the important rule: the more different turns and radiators in the system, the slower it needs to be filled.
  4. Not high-quality heating radiators that are not repairable.

How can air congestion be avoided?


How to remove air

An ideal option is when during the installation of the heating system a special Mayevsky cock will be built into each battery, with which you can bleed air from each radiator separately.

You can also use an automatic air vent, which will autonomously control the entire heating system. Even with perfectly functioning heating system, you still have to periodically bleed the air from the batteries, but this will not cause great difficulties.

When filling the system, try to control the water pressure and temperature of the radiators. If suddenly the water pressure starts to drop sharply, it means that somewhere the battery is sealed. If the temperature of the batteries is not stable, look for an air lock in the heating system.

If automatic air vents are installed on your batteries, then you can sleep peacefully: they will do all the necessary work for you to eliminate the airborne radiators. If the batteries are equipped with small manual faucets, then you must carry out the entire procedure for removing air from the heating radiator.

Another important point is the pipeline itself. Quite often, air congestion can form in very difficult places in the pipeline, where there are many bends, turns or incorrect slopes. In such areas, it is imperative to install additional air vent valves.

How to bleed the battery?

In order to remove air from the battery, you need to use a special Mayevsky crane, which is exactly for this purpose.

Prepare a bucket for water in advance. In the upper right corner of the radiator you will find a Mayevsky crane, which must be unscrewed with a special wrench or an ordinary screwdriver. Do not forget to substitute the container where the water will drain.

Listen to the sounds that the battery will make: first you hear a slight hiss, which indicates that the battery really has air, which means that you are doing everything right. Now water should drip from the battery, wait for the water to run in a thin stream, and turn the tap into place.

There are times when removing the air lock in the batteries has not yielded any results, and the radiators still remain cold, then you need to thoroughly rinse and blow the battery.

If this procedure also did not work, you must look for a problem in the heating system itself.


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